Daddy
by xxIceCrystalxx
Summary: When Max discovers that she's pregnant, she has no choice but to leave the flock. Six years later: Something terrible has happened to Max and her daughter has to find the family that she doesn't remember. The family she's not even sure will take her.
1. Chapter 1

"Trinity, wake up," my mother whispers in my ear.

I blink open my eyes to blinding sunlight. My mother, Maximum Ride, is standing over me, smiling. Her blonde hair looks like it's glowing, and her chocolate brown eyes—my eyes—are warm. "Do I have to?" I groan.

"Yes, if you know what's good for you."

"But mama…"

"No buts. Now." And with that she leaves.

I giggle and pull the blanket over my head.

"Trinity Maria! Get down here _right now, _young lady!"

"Coming!" I call, getting reluctantly out of bed. My dove-gray wings, almost nine feet long, unfurl behind me. It feels good.

Downstairs, Mom is staring at an empty frying pan, looking perplexed. "Having trouble?" I laugh.

She pretends to swat me with a towel, but she's smiling. "Better watch your mouth, smarty."

"Here, let me help." I grab the carton of eggs from the fridge and start cracking them into the frying pan with practiced ease.

Mom sighs. "To think you're still a child," she murmured, half to herself. And she hugs me, a rare display of affection.

I turn and hug her back. "And you're what, twenty-four?" She doesn't reply.

"Trinity, I love you."

A lump rises in my throat, and I struggle to choke it down. "Love you too, Mom."

She holds me tight for a heartbeat longer, then steps away. She smiles at me mischievously. "Hey, forget breakfast. Wanna go for a fly?"

"You know it." Abandoning the food, I turn and race out the door, Mom hot on my heels. When I'm outside, I snap out my wings and soar into the air.

Mom is laughing. "Wanna race?" she calls, streaking past me.

"No fair!" I protest. "You gotta head start!"

Based on the stories she's told me, I'm the only one who has a prayer of catching up to her. You see, I inherited her ability to fly at the speed of light. I can also turn invisible. Mom tells me it's called…hmm, what did she say? Something like 'blending in'. It basically means that if I stay real still for a while, I start to disappear. But when I move again, I immediately turn visible again. I'm not quite sure where that comes from.

We're in the air for at least an hour. By the time we get back, we're both a little out of breath and laughing so hard we can barely stand up straight. "Alright," Mom gasps, still laughing. "Time for you to get ready for school."

"Aww, Mom…"


	2. Chapter 2

Tears sting my cheeks as I fly as fast I can. Away from reality. Away from life.

Something terrible has happened. I can't even talk about it. Through the haze of grief and shock one thought emerges, clear and defined.

_I have to find him._ The dark-haired man in the photo. But how? He could be anywhere in the world. Or dead, for that matter. And I'm alone, and scared.

Not to mention six years old.

But I have to. My life may depend on it. Scratch that, my life _does _depend on it.

But right now I'm tired. I need to sleep before I do anything else. I tilt my left wing downward, falling into a smooth spiral towards the ground.

I hit the ground hard, and the force of it actually makes me fall down onto my knees. _Ow. _Note to self: practice landing skills.

I get to my feet slowly and stare around, studying my surroundings. Where I am looks pretty sheltered. It would shield me from passersby, at least. My heart sinks at the thought of sleeping on the cold ground. Then again, it's not like I have a choice, is it?

I sigh. "Come on Trinity," I tell myself softly. "You can last one night out here. You're not a coward."

Yeah, right.

I get to my knees and crawl under a bush. I lay on my back, staring at the sky. The small picture in my pocket suddenly weighs a ton. My hand drifts to my pocket, finding the slip of paper. I take it out and stare at it.

It shows two people, about eighteen years old, with their arms around each other and laughing. One of them is a younger version of my mother, her blonde hair almost to her waist and her whole face alight with life and love. The other is a man, with thick black hair and huge dark wings spreading from his shoulders. I don't know who he is, but I'm gonna find out.

Even if it kills me...

Even if…

Right after I…

Rest…


	3. Chapter 3

When I wake up the sun is blinding. My wings are aching. Not just my wings, but my entire body. And I'm hungry, more hungry than I've ever been my whole life.

But that can wait. I get to my feet slowly, wincing at the sharp pain that stabs my muscles. _Ow. _

"Hello?" I call. "Anyone there? Can you please help me?"

But my only answer is the rustle of the wind through the trees. I'm utterly alone. And I…sort of like it. It's soothing. Comforting. Like no one can hurt me.

But of course that's not true. Suddenly I'm aware of the picture, crushed in my fist. I unfold it gingerly, and see something I hadn't noticed last night.

_Max and Fang, together forever (taken by Gazzy cuz he's just awesome like that)_

Well, that's nice. I have a name. _Fang. _ What kind of name is that? Honestly. Who names their kid _Fang_?

And _Gazzy. _Who's that? But if I'm willing to take a guess (which I am), I'd say that wherever I found Fang, I'd probably find Gazzy, whoever he is.

But that's irrelevant. I spread my wings and take off into the air. After five minutes I'm ready to scream. The soreness in my muscles has intensified tenfold. For a terrifying moment, my wings stop beating and I'm in free fall. Then they start to move again and I'm soaring upward.

I lost track of how long I fly, and how far I've gone. Suddenly I hear a noise, and it sounds like a dog crying.

I'm a huge animal lover, and I always have been. So of course I pause, looking for the source of the noise.

It turns out to be a small black Scottie-looking dog, one of his back paws caught in a piece of rope. As I get closer to the dog, his barks start to sound a lot like words.

"Oh for the love of Christ! Honestly I go out for five minutes get caught in_ this_ dreadful thing! Oh Akila my love, remember me when I'm gone! Remember me! Oh, the cruelty of life!"

"Hello," I say as I land in front of him.

He eyes me scornfully. "Come to laugh at my misfortune, have you?"

"Umm…no. I want to help you."

"Like I haven't heard _that _before. Akila my love, I fear I will never be able to see your lovely face again—"

"Who's Akila?"

"An angel on earth, with fur the color of freshly fallen snow…"

"Oh that's nice." I kneel beside him. "You know, I've never seen a talking dog before."

"And I expect you've never seen one with wings before, have you?" For the first time I notice the small wings protruding from his shoulders.

"Actually, I haven't."

He snorts. "Then you have been sadly misinformed, dear lady."

"Well anyway, we need to get you out of this trap." I grab the paw that's caught and start to untangle it from the rope.

He yelps. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to help you. Now if you want to get loose, my advice is to be quiet." He looks disgruntled but stops struggling.

"There you go!" I say triumphantly as the last piece of rope falls away.

The dog leaps foreword. "Oh sweet freedom! Sweet life! Now I at last can enjoy you for a bit longer!"

"You know, I doubt you would've died in that trap."

He sighs dramatically. "And what do you know?"

I shake my head. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Alas, I am called Total, young lass. I was dreadfully separated from my family…"

"Really?"

"Yes, and an unusual family they were! They soared high above the earth, free as can be…"

"What? Are you saying they have wings?"

"Yes, they do."

"And is one of them named Fang?"

"Incidentally, yes."

"I need to find him."

"And why would that be?"

I spread my own wings and Total gasps. "What is the manner of this?"

"My name is Trinity. My mother ran away from her flock when she was eighteen. Now she's been kidnapped and I have to find them again."

"Your mother is Maximum Ride?"

"Yes, that's her name. Did you know her?"

"I did, and there was no fairer or kinder women in the word…"

I laughed. "Was she really?"

"Indeed she was."

"Can you help me find them?"

"Yes, I can, so what are we waiting for?" Total scampers away.

"Hey!" I call, "Wait up!"

Total looks back. "We're wasting time, Trinity!"

"So?"

"Time is of the essence!"

"Is it?" I ask, finally catching up. "You know what? It would probably be faster to fly." I scoop him up in my arms and spread my wings, and within moments we're in the air.


	4. Chapter 4

"How much farther?" I screamed at Total through the roaring of the wind in my ears. "I'm freezing!"

"Uh…." Total stared down at the countryside. "Uh…there! There!"

"Finally!" I started spiraling towards the ground. Unfortunately, my landing was no better than any of my others, and Total tumbled out of my arms as I hit the earth. "Sorry!"

Total got up, shaking out his fur. "Well, of all the indignant things…"

"So, we're here?" I ask. We've landed in a small clearing ringed by pine trees. One problem: there's nobody here. But the area shows clear signs of being lived in. The grass in the center is charred, as if by a fire. Footprints criss-cross the grass, and large imprints showed where they slept. I walk over to the charred area and put my hand above the ashes. "They can't have been gone long," I remark, feeling weak heat. "At least a day or two. Otherwise the ashes would be cold."

Total trots around the clearing, sniffing the air. "Let's see, judging by their scents they've been gone for…a day and a half."

"Great." I fall to my knees and start crying. "Oh Total, we're never going to find them!"

Total nuzzles me. "There, there," he comforts. "Don't worry Trinity. We'll find them, you'll see."

I smile at him. "Thanks Total. I just wish…"

"What?"

"I wish that my mother was here." I feel silly admitting it, but it's true. She would've known why they left or where they were going. Heck, if she was here, I wouldn't be trying to find them in the first place!

Total suddenly leaps away and sniffs again, his fur standing on end. "Uh, Trinity? We've got company."

"What?" I look around.

"Wrong way, hon. Look up."

I do, and my heart sinks.

There's these flying robot things hovering above us. I've never seen them before, but I know just what they are. Flyboys.

_Oh no._

"Uh, Total?"

"What?"

"_Run_." I grab him and start running as fast I can.

Now, I'm not bragging or anything, but I'm pretty fast. I can outrun my mother, point blank. And that is saying something.

But however fast I was, they were ten times better. But I've got a head start. I'm running blindly, not caring where I'm going. Brambles and tree branches lash into my arms but I ignore them, cursing my nearly five-foot frame.

I can hear them crashing through the undergrowth behind me. Now, I'm not sure, but I'm betting that they have that infer-red vision thingy. _Great. _My super-heated body would stick out like a bright yellow mutant sore thumb in this dark, damp forest. So I run quickly, dodging rocks and thick tree trunks.

And the ground suddenly…stops.

I wave my arms wildly to keep my balance, keeping a hold on Total. I've reached a cliff overhanging the sea. Pure luck saves me. I don't fall. I know that I should spread my wings, but I also know it would be no use. They would only follow me. The sounds of them grow louder. I look back and forth quickly, trying to find the best way out. Stay or run? Run or stay?

Then I look down. Suddenly it occurs to me that there aren't just two ways out. No time to think. "Hey, Total?"

"What?"

"You're not opposed to swimming, are you?"

"Not really, why?"

I don't answer. I just clutch him against my chest, fold my wings tight against my back, and jump.

The wind whooshing past my ears is the only sound for a few moments. Then…

_Whoomph. _

I'm surrounded by bubbles. I let myself fall for a few seconds, aware that Total is struggling madly, trying to get out. Then I start kicking upwards.

As soon as my head breaks the surface I'm hit by a mouthful of saltwater. I cough and sputter, trying to get the taste out of my mouth. I spot a large rock sticking out of the water and head towards it.

I reach it after a few seconds and climb on it. There's just enough room. I hug my knees to my chest and let shudder after shudder pass through me.

I don't know how long it is before I realize…Total's gone.

"Total!" I scream, slipping back into the frigid water and wading through the shallows. "Total! Answer me!"

But he doesn't answer. I scan the waves desperately, waiting for a small black dog to poke his head out of the water and yell at me for dragging us both into this mess.

But he doesn't. I start crying. He was my guide, my friend, my only hope. Now he's probably drowned by now and it's all my fault.

"Hey Trinity!"

"Total!" I cry, wading towards him. He's perched himself on a large rock jutting out of the waves. His fur is sopping wet, and he doesn't look very happy. "You're alive!"

"I could say the same for you, Trinity."

I reach him and hug him, hard. "I thought I'd lost you," I admit, my voice shaking.

"Well, it would be a bit stupid to kill one of the main characters off in the fourth chapter, maybe in the climax, but not in the fourth chapter…"

"What?"

"Never you mind that, Trinity." He shakes water out of his fur. Personally, I think that's a bit useless, but don't say anything. "Are they gone?"

"Uh…" I gaze up at the cliff's edge. "Yeah. Let's get out of here." I stand, spreading my wings, shaking saltwater off my sopping feathers. "Ready, Total?" I bend my knees, preparing to jump. Just as I'm about to take off, I'm hit by a huge, nearly 7-foot tall wave and swept off my feet. I just have time to grab Total's scruff before I'm carried into darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm two years old. Mommy is sitting beside me on the porch. Grandma and Aunt Ella are nearby. _

_I'm staring at a flock of sparrows twittering above my head. They look so pretty. I want to be up there, in the sky, with them. "Mama!" I say, pointing demandingly at the birds. _

_She smiles. "Do you want to see them up close, Trinity?" I nod. "Alright then." She holds me tight in her arms. _

"_Down, down!" I cry, struggling. _

"_What?" She sets me back down on the ground. _

_I teeter to the edge of the porch. "Trinity!" Aunt Ella cries, starting to get up. _

"_Wait," Mommy says, holding out an arm. _

_I spread my wings for the first time. It feels weird in sort of a good way. Then I'm in the air. _

_Flying feels really neat. I giggle. I'm no more than two or three feet off the ground. Suddenly my wings stop beating and I fall. _

"_Here honey, like this." Mommy grabs my hands and begins to guide me steadily upward. _

_I scream with delight, slowly getting the feel of my wings. "Ready to go up higher?" Mommy asks. I nod. "Alright!" _

_We reach the flock of sparrows. I stare at them with wide eyes. "Do you think you can fly on your own now?" Mommy asks. _

"_Yes!" _

"_Okay, I'm letting go now." _

_I wobble in the air for a second. Mommy hovers close to me to make sure I don't fall. But soon I've gotten the hang of it and I'm swooping through the air, letting out cries of joy. _

_Before long Mommy catches me. "I think that's enough for one day," she says. We slowly drift to the ground. I'm still laughing. _

_One year later. I'm sitting on the edge of the porch. Mommy's behind me, talking to Grandma. Aunt Ella is on a trip. Aunt Ella's new cat, Beauty, is sitting next to me. I'm petting her fur. _

_Suddenly in the distance I spot some really big, really odd-looking birds. They look almost like…people…people with wings…_

"_Mommy! Look at the funny birds!" I laugh, pointing. _

_Mommy looks up. She lets out a horrified gasp. She runs to me, picks me up, and races into the house. _

_A few days later. I'm hiding behind Mommy's legs as she talks to Grandma. I'm wearing my long coat, and my backpack full of clothes is laying at my feet. Mommy's got her coat on, too. Her big purse is bulging at her side. "You and I both know they're here, Mom," she's saying to Grandma. _

"_I know dear," she sighs. "But do you really have to leave?" _

"_You don't understand, Mom. They _can't _know about Trinity. It would be…bad. Very bad." _

_Grandma sighs and drops to her knees, hugs me tightly, then stands up again. "If I can't stop you from leaving, will you at least promise to write? Or visit sometime?" _

"_Of course we will, Mom. And…tell Ella…tell Ella I'm sorry for leaving." She turns away from Grandma, wiping her eyes. "Good-bye, Mom. I love you. Say good-bye, Trinity." _

"_Good-bye, Grandma!" I sing, picking up my backpack. _

"_Good-bye, Trinity. Good-bye, Max. I love you both." _

_Mommy looks back at Grandma, one hand on the door. "Oh, one last thing…we were never here, right?" _

"_Right." Grandma gives her a watery smile. I grip Mommy's hand tightly. _

_I haven't seen my Grandma since. _

I'm cold. Colder than I could ever remember being. I can't feel my wings. Or my fingers. Or my toes.

With difficulty, I drag myself to my hands and knees. My body feels like it's made of ice. My teeth are chattering so hard I can barely hear myself think. "Total?" I call.

"Right here." I become conscious of a lump of warm fur curled up somewhere near my belly.

I raise my head. "Any idea of where we are?"

"We're on a beach."

"Yes, because that's usually what surrounds an ocean. Be more specific."

"Somewhere in South America, I think."

"_South America_? How the _heck _did we get in _South America_?"

"Oh wait, make that South _California._"

"Okay." I sigh. "Thank you. That sounds a lot better."

I look around. The sand around me is soft and white. I can see bright white lights not far away from me. I stand slowly, taking in my surroundings with wide eyes.

There are buildings _everywhere_. Some are skyscrapers. Even though it has to be at least midnight, people are still on the beach. I start to walk away, trying to look inconspicuous as possible, Total at my heels.

"Hey, you!"

I spin. A burly man is eyeing me suspiciously, wearing a brown jacket with the words **Santa Monica Police Department **stamped across one sleeve. "Y-Yes?" I stammer.

"This is a pet-free beach."

"Excuse me?"

"Your dog."

"Oh, sorry," I apologize, realizing that me must be talking about Total. "I'll just be going then."

"Hey, kid, wait a second. How old are you?"

"Umm…six."

"Aren't you a bit young to be out on your own? Where are your folks?"

"Uh…they're…down there. On the beach. Somewhere."

"Thank you officer," a smooth male voice says. I feel a heavy hand on my shoulder. I look up to see a blonde man smiling at the police officer. "For finding my daughter. I've been looking for her everywhere."

"Huh." The police officer studies the man. "This your kid?"

"Yes."

"Alright then." The officer wags his finger at me. "Don't you go running off again." He walks away.

I look up at the man. "Thank you sir…"

He looks down at me, his eyes twinkling. "No problem. I've been looking forward to meeting you, Trinity."

"H-How do you—"

He grins at me, flashing his sharp teeth.

Wait a second…

_Sharp teeth? _

_Oh no…_

**OMG I cannot believe how fast I got that done….**


	6. Chapter 6

My mind goes blank with horror. The man is still smiling at me. "Come on, Trinity. Let's go."

"Where are you taking me?" I ask, pulling away slightly.

"Somewhere you'll be safe. I promise." His voice is so smooth, so alluring.

I don't trust him.

"Let go of me!" I twist my arm out of his grasp.

The man whips a syringe full of some clear liquid out of his pocket and stabs it into my arm. Everything goes fuzzy…then I pass out.

When I come to I'm surrounded by metal bars. What the heck? I frown, starting to get up. "Ow!"

The involuntary mutter passed my lips as I hit my head. Was I in a…_dog cage?_

Ah, yes.

I hug my knees to my chest, careful not to raise my head too high. I'm in a large room. More crates like mine are everywhere, pushed against the walls, stacked one on top of the other. Almost every one has a person—a _child?_—in it.

There's a small boy in a cage a few away from mine. His skin is all leathery looking. "Hello?" I call softly.

The boy looks at me, and I realize that he has only one pitch-black eye, right in the middle of his face. I have to keep from wincing. "Where are we?" He only blinks at me dumbly. "Why are we here?" Again, no answer.

I look away from him. The woman directly next to me looks familiar. She's about 20 or so, slumped against the far corner of her cage, her head buried in her knees. Burns and scratches criss-cross her arms. "Hello?"

The woman looks up, and I feel a horrible yet wonderful thrill of recognition. "_Mom!_"

My mother blinks, her eyes dull and dead, but I see a spark of life as she looks at me. "Trinity?" She says quietly, as if unwilling to believe it's really me.

"Yes!" I scramble to the edge of my cage.

"Oh, Trinity!" She sounds both relieved and devastated at the same time. "What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to find the flock."

"How do you know about the flock?"

I pull the picture of her and Fang from my pocket and show it to her. She gazes at it for a long time. "Oh, Fang," she whispers, silently crying. "I'm so sorry I had to leave you…"

"Is Fang…is Fang my father?"

Mom looks away from me. "I never wanted you to know…but yes, he is."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, Trinity." She gazes at her hands. "It's a long story."

"We have time."

"So we do." She sighs. "Better start from the beginning. I was born here. Some scientists wanted to find out what would happen when you mixed avian DNA with humans'. As a result, they got children with wings."

"There were six of us. Me, Fang, Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel. All of us had wings. I was the oldest, Angel the youngest. When I was ten years old, your grandfather, Jeb—though I didn't know it at the time---helped us escape. For a while, we all lived together. Then Jeb dissapeared. We lived on our own for a little while. Then some…stuff happened, I met your Grandmother and Aunt Ella, found out Jeb was my father, and we all lived happily ever after." For a moment, she sounds like herself again. I smile to myself. "Then, when I was nineteen, I got pregnant. I didn't mean to. It was a mistake." A _mistake_? Was that all I was? Good mood vanishing, I feel hot tears sting my eyes and splash down on my hand. My mother noticed and—as best she could—put her hand on mine. "Oh, honey, that didn't come out right. I never regretted having you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me." I smile shakily at her. "Anyway, there were still people after us. People who wanted to kill us. I didn't want that for you. I didn't think I had another choice but to leave."

"Do you think any different now?"

"No. So one night I slipped out of the house we were living in and flew halfway across the country to your Grandmother's house. I didn't think that they would ever find me there. But…they did."

"I remember."

She smiles slightly. "I…got scared. I didn't want Fang or the rest of the flock to know about you. I thought that…" She shakes her head. "Never mind."

A distant flashback. _You don't understand, Mom. They _can't _know about Trinity. If they did, it would be bad. Very bad. _

"And that's it."

"That's it?"

"There's nothing else to tell. You know the rest."

"Oh." I'm silent. "Mom, tell me about the flock."

She smiles reminisantly. "Well, you know about Fang. Then there was Iggy. He was my age, and blind. Which kind of irritated me, since he was a way better cook than I was."

"_Everyone's _a better cook than you!" I laugh.

She laughs too. "After Iggy there was Nudge. She was sixteen. She was the aspiring model. Out of all of us, she was the one who wanted most to be normal. She was a chatterbox. How it used to irritate me…and everyone else." She thinks for a minute. "Then there was Gazzy, short for the Gasman. He was thirteen."

"Why was he—?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. He was _great _with explosives. You could lock him in a prison cell with nothing but a paperclip and a piece of string and he could make something explode. I should know. We tried it."

"How did he manage that?"

"_That_ you'll have to ask him about. All I know was that those wardens were _way _mad at us when he got out." We both laughed.

"Last of all was Angel. She was eleven. She was…like my little girl. I had cared for her since she was a baby." I'm startled to see tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't cry, Mom."

She brushes the tears from her cheeks. "It's irrelevant now…she must be what, sixteen? Seventeen? I don't know."

"Trinity!"

The new voice startles me. I look up to see a small Scottie-like dog, balancing precariously on one of the high windows, his wings spread to help him stay upright. "Total!" I call in relief.

My Mom looks up curiously. "Total? Is it really you?"

Total suddenly loses his balance and tumbles into the large room. I stifle a gasp of horror. But his wings catch the air right before he hits the top row of crates. I sigh with relief.

He scampers over to me. "Trinity! And…Max, that can't be you, could it?"

She smiles. "Yes, Total, it's me."

"Max! I never thought I see you again!"

"I could say the same thing! How are Akila and Fang and the rest of the flock?"

"Akila's doing fine," Total says. "Fang…wow, you should've seen him after you left. Poor guy."

"What do you mean?" Her bottom lip starts to tremble.

"Locked himself in his room for weeks. Didn't eat or anything. We couldn't get him out for anything—"

"Stop!" Mom cries suddenly. I'm startled to see tears flowing freely down her cheeks, staining her pale skin. "Stop," she repeats, softer this time. She takes a deep breath. "And the rest of the flock?"

"They're fine. Iggy and Ella got married."

"Did they?" Mom asks, finally cracking a smile. "I'm happy for them both. Wait. Ella didn't tell Iggy and the flock about me and Trinity, did she?"

"No." Total rolls his eyes. "Ella knew that Trinity was a huge secret and besides, she's your sister."

"Good, but now we need to get out of here and go. See if you can open the _dog cages_—" I hear a definite note of irritation in her voice "—and get us out of here."

"On it." Total puts his front paws on the door of my cage, trying to reach the lock with his teeth. "Wait," he mumbles with his jaws full of metal, "wait…wait…got it." He jumps back and I push open the door, already rejoicing in my freedom.

The moment my feet touch the ground, sirens start wailing. "Oh no!" Mom whispers, looking suddenly terrified. I hear footsteps running towards me, angry voices yelling incomprehensible curses. "They must've put an alarm on these cages!"

"I realized that," I say dryly.

"Listen," Mom says as the footsteps get louder, "you have to go. Leave me here. Find the flock."

"No!" I yell, grabbing the lock on her cage and fiddling with it desperately, trying to get it to open. It won't budge. "I'm not leaving you!"

"This is no time to be dramatic, Trinity!"

I glance up. Now there are several shadows on the wall opposite me, moving rapidly in my direction. "I don't care!" I had just found her again, and there was no way I was leaving her now.

A deep, booming voice I don't recognize. "There she is!"

"Trinity!" Total's already hovering in the air anxiously. "We've got to move!"

"I'm not leaving her!"

"_You've got to_!" Both of them yell it at the same time.

I beefy hand grabs my wrist. I give my Mom one last, devastated glance, and spread my wings quickly, hitting the man hard in the face. His grip slackens for a moment, just enough time for me to yank my hand out of his grasp. "I'm sorry," I whisper to Mom. Then I'm in the air, sailing out the open window towards freedom. Total's hard on my heels.

We eventually get far enough away that the screams of anger fade. "That's it," Total sighs, settling down on the wide branch of a tree. "Trinity?"

But I've already collapsed on the ground, sobbing, tears streaking down my cheeks. I had been so close to saving my mother, but she had been snatched from me at the last moment. I was crying for her, for myself, for how far I've gotten for nothing, for how far I still had to go.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello to all you faithful readers and welcome back! And yes, I am actually adding an A/N at the beginning of this chapter! O.O I know…**

**Anyway, I just wanted to thank everybody who reviewed the last chapter. May you live all your days in happiness and…**

**I just lost interest. **

**So yeah. **

**One last thing: I am adding this for all the chapters so no one can yell at me. **

**Disclaimer: James Patterson owns Maximum Ride. I do not. I only own Trinity and the plotline. **

**Happy now?**

I cried for hours. But finally the tears stopped coming, and I lay on my back with Total stretched out next to me, one arm draped across his back, staring at the stars. "So what do we do now?" My voice sounded hoarse.

Total sighed. "We'll just wait and see, won't we? It's not like we have any other choice."

We're silent for a moment. Finally Total speaks. "I'm really sorry, Trinity. About your mom."

Fresh tears well in my eyes and I brush them away impatiently. "Yeah. Me too."

"It really killed me to leave her there, do you know that?" I nod.

"But it was really brave of you to come and rescue me." I stroke his fur absentmindedly. "You could've been killed. I didn't think you had it in you, Total."

I _think _he blushed. It's hard to tell with a dog. But I could tell that he was smiling. I hugged him. "Thanks."

Holding the dog close to me, I finally drifted into sleep.

There was a man sitting in front of me, staring into a dying fire that was now little more than glowing embers. He didn't look familiar. So why was he here? When did he get here? I didn't realize that we were so near a campsite. "Umm…sorry sir," I say, getting to my feet, "I didn't mean to bother you…"

The man doesn't look up. Now I can see his face clearly. He's in his early twenties, I figured. His skin is a sallow-looking olive color, tinged with green. His thick dark hair flops onto his forehead. His dark eyes are troubled as he stares into the fire. His dark jeans and black shirt are stained with something that looks horribly like blood. "Sir?" Again, he doesn't look up. "I'll just be leaving now…" I frown, confused, when again he doesn't move. I move so that I'm standing right in front of him. "Hey you!" I practically shout, waving my arms and jumping up and down. He stares right through me, as if I'm not there…

And then I realize that I must be dreaming. How else could I explain this? Then I realize that I don't remember ever waking up.

I _must _be dreaming.

I had no sooner reached this conclusion that a tall, pale man about the same age as the first came up behind the olive-skinned man. "Hey."

The man jumped as if he had received an electric shock. "Man, you scared me!"

"Sorry." The pale man sat down beside the first. For a moment they both were silent. Then the pale man asked quietly, "Missing her?"

The olive skinned man sighed. "Yeah."

The taller one put his hand on his shoulder. "You can't bring her back. You know that, right?"

"You talk about her as if she's dead!" the olive skinned one snarled suddenly, his hands clenching into fists. "_Max. Isn't. Dead_!"

Max? He couldn't possibly mean…

The pale one got to his feet, nearly shouting. "Six years! _Six years_! How else can you explain that we haven't found her, after all this time?" His voice softened. "Look, I know you miss her, but maybe its time to move on."

The olive skinned one sat down, his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice breaking, "but I can't, Iggy. You know I can't."

_Iggy_? Wait! I stifle a gasp. This has to be the Iggy Mom had told me about! He fits her description exactly! And the dark haired one…that couldn't be…

Iggy sat down beside the olive skinned man. "I know. You loved her. And I'm sorry. Really, I am. But really, it might be time to forget about Max and get on with your life, Fang."

Ha! I knew it! So…this was Fang. This was my father. He's different than the Fang I had seen in the photograph. This one was older, though the photo had been taken seven years ago. And this one looked…sadder. There was no other way to describe it. He looked like he had known nothing but suffering for his entire lifetime.

I let my eyes wander over his face, marveling how much he looked like me. Or, rather, how much I looked like him. My hair was dark and thick, just like his, only mine was curly. Mom says I get that from Grandma. His eyes…they were dark and deep and soulful. But I already knew that I had my mother's eyes. His skin was different, too. Mine was pale.

Suddenly he looked right at me. "Trinity?"

"What?" I thought you couldn't see me!

His voice gets louder. "Trinity! TRINITY!"

"Trinity!"

"Gah!" I gasp and sit bolt upright, startling Total, who was trying to wake me up. "Oh, sorry, Total," I apologize, sitting with my arms around my knees.

"Humph." Total sits down and stares at me, irritated. "You sleep like a log."

"Good morning to you too." I smile for the first time in what seems like ages. "Anyway, I have a plan on what to do."

"You do? Spill."

I get to my feet, brushing dried mud off my jeans. "It's time we pay my Grandma a long overdue visit."


	8. Chapter 8

I hover in midair above the familiar house where I spent the first few years of my life. Gazing around at this oh-too familiar landscape made my throat choke up. So many memories… "Look Total," I said, pointing, "that's where I learned to fly. And…" I look around, "my room used to be right there." I smile. My room had been nice—I had insisted that my mom paint it bright pink as soon as I learned to talk. The ceiling had been a pale, clear blue—like the sky. I used to look up at it as I fell asleep and imagine that I was flying. The wind caressed me in my dreams.

"Trinity!" Total's voice jerked me out of my reverie. "Excuse me, but I think the neighbors _may _freak out a little bit if they see you a hundred feet in the air. Could we land, please?"

"What? Oh, right." I allow myself to drift slowly to the ground.

"So, this is Dr. Martinez's house." Total looked around. "Hasn't changed a bit, has it?"

"No," I whisper, "no. It hasn't." I brush away the sudden wetness that had appeared in my eyes.

I creeped slowly around the side of the house, flinching away from the reddish glow the streetlights gave out. The less people who saw me, the better. After what seemed like hours, I reach the large sliding glass window that marked the entrance to the backyard. I peer into the kitchen.

Aunt Ella is standing at the stove with her back to me, stirring a pot of something that was bubbling. I could see the light from the television in the other room. Holding my breath, I knock softly on the door.

Aunt Ella jumps and spins around. Her eyes widen as she spots me. Half-running across the kitchen, she hurriedly unlatches the door, yanks it open, and pulls me into a bear hug. "Oh, Trinity, is it really you?"

I hug her back, hard. "Yes, it is."

Grandma hurries into the kitchen. "Trinity?"

And they're both hugging me, and I'm hugging them back, and we're all laughing and crying at the same time. I hadn't realized how much I had missed them both.

Finally we break apart. "Where's your mother?" Grandma demands.

I look at the floor. "That's why I came," I admit softly. Looking back up at them, I add, "It's a long story."

"We've got time," Aunt Ella says.

I take a deep breath, then blurt out the story of how my mother had been kidnapped, how I had traveled across the country to try to find her, how I had found her but left her behind when I escaped, and about the dream I had had about Fang and Iggy. After I finish, Aunt Ella looks anguished. "Max!" she whispers. "Max! OMG, what are we going to do?"

"That's what I was wondering." Beauty winds her way around my legs. I smile and lean down to pet her.

Grandma puts her hand on my shoulder. "Sweetheart, you have to find the flock."

"I _know _that," I tell her, gazing up at her beseechingly. "But I don't know where to look!"

Aunt Ella looks thoughtful. "Well…I could call Iggy." For the first time I notice the gold and sparkling diamond ring she's wearing on her left ring finger.

"You call him every other night," Grandma points out.

Aunt Ella shakes her head. "I haven't spoken to him in weeks!" Her eyes turn misty. "I miss him."

"Of course you do."

"Hang on." She rushes to the phone. "I'll call him now."

For what seems like hours she stands there, listening to the phone ring. I hold my breath, waiting anxiously. "Hey Iggy, it's me," she says finally. "Yes, honey, I've missed you too…" her voice goes all lovey-dovey, and I have to keep from gagging. "Yes, darling, I know you hate leaving me behind…" she smiles. "No, you're cuter!" she gushes. I roll my eyes at Grandma.

She mirrors me. "Get on with it," she mouths at Aunt Ella.

Aunt Ella frowns. "Fine," she mouths back. "Right Iggy, I've been missing you like crazy, and I was wondering if I could visit? I feel like I haven't seen you since our honeymoon…Well, that's doable...Yeah, a few months would be great…where are you? I wouldn't want you to have to go too far...really? Okay, I'll see you then…I love you too." She hangs up the phone. "They'll be coming to visit in a few weeks," she announces. "All of them."

"A few weeks?!" I exclaim. "Aunt Ella, we can't wait that long!" I pause. "My mom can't wait that long!"

She frowns at me. "I know. That's why I asked where they were."

"Well?" Grandma presses. "Where are they?"

She takes a deep breath. "They're in the Borderfield State Park."

"They are?" I gasp. "Grandma, where's a map?"

The three of us—four, if you count Total—finally locate a car map and spread it out on the floor. We study it silently. "There it is!" Grandma gasps, pointing to a small green-ish looking space near the beach, in Southern California.

I stand. "I have to go there."

Total jumps up. "Me too."

Aunt Ella stands almost as quickly. "Oh no, you're not. Not without an adult."

"Excuse me," I retort, "last time I checked, neither of you could fly. I'd have the greatest chance of finding them. And don't forget, I've made it all the way from Colorado to here without any trouble. I'll be fine." I give them a smile.

Grandma gets up and hugs me tightly. "Best of luck," she says. And suddenly she breaks away, wiping her eyes.

"What is it?" I ask her, alarmed.

"Nothing…" she murmurs. "It's just...you're just like your mother, do you know that?"

"No…" I answer, touched. I give both her and Aunt Ella quick hugs. "I love you both. And I promise, as soon as we get Mom back, all of us are coming back for a long visit."

"We'll hold you too that," Aunt Ella says, smiling.

"Come on, Total!" I cry, racing for the door. The moment we're out on the porch I leap, spreading my wings, Total springs upward beside me, and within moments we're both soaring beneath the stars.

**So sorry for the long wait! I promise I'll update faster next time! I blame Writer's Block. *glares at screen* Dammit Writer's Block, someday I will figure out a way to defeat you! Then you'll pay!**


	9. Chapter 9

The night air is cool on my face. My windblown hair whips around my face. I sigh. I have to remember to start wearing my hair in a ponytail; I hate dealing with it when I fly.

"Trinity!" Total cries from next to me. "Do you know where we are?"

"Yes!" I call back. That's another weird thing about me that Mom says I get from my bird genes. I have sort of an inborn GPS system, so I always know where I'm going. It comes in useful, especially at times like this. I scan the ground below me. "Look!" I cry, pointing.

We're exactly where we need to be. A huge sign, still visible at nearly 1500 feet, blares; BORDERFIELD STATE PARK. "Perfect!" I start to spiral downward, thanking God for the new moon.

I land on my feet, gracefully. I've finally gotten the hang of it! Yay!

Total skids to a landing next to me. "Where—" I begin, but Total holds out a paw, gesturing at me to be quiet. He sniffs the air cautiously. Then an expression of delight unfolds on his face. "What is it?" I demand excitedly, falling to my knees in front of the dog.

"They're here, Trinity! We've made it!"

I want to whoop and cry and leap into the air for joy. We've done it! We've found the flock! But some warning instinct warns me to stay quiet. I pick up Total and creep into the dark forest.

We've walked for maybe half a mile when suddenly Total hisses at me, "Stop! Can you see that?"

I strain my eyes, gazing in the direction Total had indicated. Sure enough, the orange glow of a fire maybe a hundred yards away. My breath catches in my throat. Could it be…

Suddenly Total leaps from my arms and scampers towards some bushes. "Trinity! Hide!" I lunge after him, and just in time, too.

I press flat to the ground as footsteps sound not a foot in front of my face. A pair of black combat boots pause right in front of where I'm hiding. I hold my breath, terrified that we'll be discovered.

"What's wrong?" a female voice calls from the campfire.

"Nothing," the man wearing the boots answered, wandering back towards the fire. "I thought I'd heard something…"

Total lets out a quiet breath. "That was close."

"Tell me about it," I whisper back, careful to be as quiet as possible. "Remind me why we're hiding again?"

Total gives me a look. "Because, Trinity, they don't know a thing about you. These people have _killed _before. How do you think they'd react if they saw a little girl spying on them?"

"Good point." I gaze towards the ginger glow. "Come on. I know what to do." I stand picking up Total.

"What are you doing?" he hisses at me.

"Shh! Stay quiet." Leaning back against a tree, I close my eyes and pace my breathing so that it's slow and even, trying to relax. I feel myself gradually fading away, and I open my eyes and gaze down at my body.

It worked. I'm no longer there. I've gone invisible, so I'm no more than a shadow. I grin to myself.

"Trinity?" a strangely dismembered Total's voice asks. "W-what's going on?"

"Be quiet," I tell him, trying to move my lips as little as possible. "And don't move."

Moving as slowly as I can, I creep forward, taking a long pause before each step to make sure they don't see me. But finally I reach the clearing where they are, and I settle on a root to watch and listen.

Fang and a blonde boy are deep in discussion by the campfire. A Hispanic looking woman is sitting near them, staring deep into the flames thoughtfully, the orange glow glinting off her brown eyes and her slightly extended tawny-colored wings. A blonde teenage girl with hot pink streaks running through her curls is lying on her back a little ways away, staring at the sky, her fingers tangled in the fur of a long-haired white dog that's sleeping beside her. Iggy is sitting with his back against a log with his eyes closed. I wonder if he's asleep.

Hmmm…okay, I know who Iggy and Fang are. The blonde boy talking with my father must be Gazzy, the boy who could make anything explode. He'd be eighteen now, I think. And the Hispanic woman has to be Nudge, the model girl. She'd be twenty-one now. So that means the blonde teenager must be Angel. Mom said she was sixteen. And the dog…could that be Akila, Total's wife?

I lay sitting there for what seems like an hour, just sitting and watching the flock. It's strange, I feel like I'm looking at my long-lost family. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I like it.

If only my mother were here…

Total's whimpering softly in my arms, his voice filled with longing, staring at Akila. "Quiet!" I hiss at him quietly. But he doesn't listen to me. Finally he breaks away from me and leaps from my arms with a cry.

"Akila, my love!"

Everyone in the flock looks up in amazement. Akila's eyes fly open at the sound of his voice and she leaps to her paws, her tail wagging, and runs to meet him. They meet in the center of the clearing, tails wagging madly, and touch noses. Akila barks happily. "Akila, my darling, my angel, I have returned to you!" Total cries. Akila barks happily again, and they caress.

"Total!" Angel cries. "You've come back!"

Total breaks away from Akila and trots over to her. "Angel, I've missed you!"

"I missed you too," she replies, hugging him.

"Where were you?" Nudge asked, her eyes wide. "We searched for you for hours, but then we had to leave cuz the Flyboys were on our tails."

"I was in a dreadful trap, and I feared for my life—"

"A trap? But how'd you escape?" Fang asked, his eyes narrowing.

Total glances at me, and the others follow his gaze. I shake my head madly to him, trying to communicate to him that he shouldn't mention me. But then I remember…I'm invisible.

And then I realize…I moved.

I glance in horror and my all-of-a-sudden visible body. Total has a look of horror on his face. Akila, Angel, Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy look confused. Fang looks cold. "Who are you?" he asks, his voice like ice. "Who are and how did you find us?"

_You don't understand, Mom. They _can't _know about Trinity. It would be…bad. Very bad. _

Maybe it wasn't the most sensible thing. But it was the first thing that came to mind.

I leapt to my feet and ran.

"Hey, wait!" Fang yells from somewhere behind me. "Wait up!" I can hear footsteps behind me, giving chase.

They weren't very far behind me. I stumble as my foot catches a root. I'll never be able to outrun them.

But I might be able to out-fly them.

I spread my wings, ignoring the gasps and cries of shock behind me. Finding leverage on a small protruding root, I leap into the air.

For a moment, I'm flying! The familiar swooping stomach sensation comforts me.

But some part of me must've ignored the fact that the trees were growing so close together that they made a solid canopy above my head. I crash head-first into branches and leaves. They tear into my skin and feathers, making me cry out with agony.

Then I'm falling…spinning sickeningly to the ground…crashing headfirst into the undergrowth…

And it all goes black.

**See? I kept my promise! Or maybe I just feel bad for making you all wait so long for chapter 8.**

**Either or.**

**Either way, review?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh my goodness! I, like, laughed out loud when I read all those reviews. Love you all, and keep 'em comin!! :D**

Fang stared, confused, at the small girl that lay unconscious in front of the dying fire, her pale skin glowing scarlet. Her front was to him, her face serene, young and vulnerable, but somehow tough at the same time.

And the weird part was…she looked like him.

Like, a lot like him.

Frowning, he studied her face. The slant of her cheekbones against her face, the thickly-lashed eyes, the dark, thick hair, the just-slightly-too-big nose…all were features that greeted him when he looked in the mirror.

Still frowning, he got up and moved a bit closer, kneeling in front of her. For just a moment, before she had fled in terror, he had noticed her eyes go wide with horror…

Her melted-milk-chocolate-colored eyes.

The same eyes that haunted both his dreams and his nightmares.

Max's eyes.

He sighed miserably as he thought of Max. Their life had finally been perfect. They had finally gotten the chance to be together.

But one morning, he had woken up and she was…gone. Without a trace. He and the flock had searched for her for months in vain…but it was like she had simply vanished off the face of the earth. He could still remember Angel's sobs when she realized that the woman who had taken care of her practically from birth wasn't coming back, Gazzy holding his sister, trying to comfort her but failing to hide his own fast-flowing tears, Nudge sitting with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she wept, Iggy just sitting there, unmoving, just staring bitterly off into space. And as for Fang…

A part of him had died that day.

Fresh grief welled in his chest, but he pushed it down. Iggy had told him over and over again to just accept that Max was dead, to just get on with his life. But when Fang asked him how he would feel if Ella dissapeared, Iggy just scowled and looked away.

He turned his gaze back to the girl in front of the fire. She seemed to be sleeping now, rather than unconscious. For the first time he noticed what she was wearing. She had on a white t-shirt that might have once been bright, but was now dirt-stained and oddly salty-looking. He wondered what had happened to make it like that. Her jeans were the same, riddled with holes and crusted with mud.

And she had _flown. _

They had all noticed how all of a sudden feathers had sprouted from her back and she had leaped into the air. But then he had seen how the feathers had caught the branches. He had heard the sickening thud of wood against flesh. He had watched as she fell, twisting in the air, and had heard the dull crack when she hit the ground. Her wings were splayed limply behind her now, her mud-encrusted feathers plastered against her back. They were a pretty color, he noticed, like a wood dove's or smoke. But how had she gotten them? Had she escaped from the school?

Could…could she have anything to do with Max?

His heart quickened, seeing for the first time…the girl looked like Max, too. And she also looked like him…she looked to be about six years old…and Max had dissapeared six years ago…

He mentally scolded himself. No, it was impossible. Max couldn't have been _pregnant, _for God's sake. She would've _told _him at least. With a pang, he remembered their last conversation.

_Max is laying beside him on their bed, her hand on his chest and her blonde hair splayed across the pillow. His arm is around her waist, drawing her near to him. "Mmm…" she murmurs sleepily, "I love you." She sits up suddenly, her eyes uncertain. "Have you…have you ever thought of maybe…having a family one day?" _

_He sits up too and takes her hand in his. "Well…maybe," he said. "But we already have a family." _

"_W-we do?" she stammers. Was he imagining things, or did her eyes flash with fear?_

"_Yeah," he laughs. "The flock is our family. You know that, right?" _

_She relaxes. "Of course. But…I mean, a _real _family, Fang. Like…a married-with-children sort of family." Her eyes gleam with hope. _

_He blinks, shocked. "We're _nineteen, _Max. Surely it's too soon to be thinking of that sort of thing, isn't it?" _

"_Yeah," she murmured, lying back down. "You're right." She rolls over. "Good-night, Fang."_

"_Good-night, Max."_

A small whimper brought him back to reality.

The girl was stirring.


	11. Chapter 11

Angel stared intently at the small girl in front of the fire. She had come to about a half-hour ago. She sat huddled in front of the fire, a ratty old blanket draped around her slender shoulders, staring wide-eyed at the assembled flock before her. Her eyes were exactly the same hue as Max's had been, Angel noticed. The color of a mocha latte.

Mmmmm…lattes…

Nudge spoke first, distracting Angel from her inner musings about coffee. "Don't be afraid," she murmured, sounding unusually gentle. "We won't hurt you."

"Promise," Gazzy added. Angel twisted a lock of her pink-streaked hair around her finger, still gazing at the girl.

Fang spoke. "What is your name?" He sounded coolly polite.

"Trinity," the girl mumbled, lowering her eyes to her lap.

"Trinity. That's pretty. What about a last name?"

Angel noticed the fear suddenly flooding from the girl. _Should I tell him? _she was wondering, her thoughts a panicked whirl. _No…not now…_Trinity shook her head quickly.

"Okay…" Fang muttered. "Where are your parents? What happened to them?"

Trinity just gazed at him, her eyes wide.

"Where are your folks, Trinity?"

Grief suddenly flew off the girl in waves. She sniffled, a single tear winding its way down her cheek.

"D-Don't cry," Fang said hastily. "You're fine, I promise. Could you just…tell us? Please?"

Curiosity ran through Angel. She reached into the girl's mind.

_Trinity was sitting next to a young blonde woman on a couch, cuddling close to her. Moonlight streams through an open window. The woman laughs at an ancient movie, hugging the girl closer with one arm. Trinity smiles. _

Angel gasped. The blonde woman was Max! Fang's gaze snapped to her. "What is it, Angel?" She couldn't reply, only watched as Trinity's memory unfolded behind her eyes.

_Suddenly the door bangs open. Max leaps to her feet, her eyes gleaming with horror as a hundred Flyboys stream through the doorway. Trinity stays huddled on the couch, staring at the new arrivals with terrified eyes. "They've found us!" Max shouts. "Trinity, you've got to run!" The Flyboys surround them, mechanized eyes gleaming, ready for the kill. "Trinity, move!" Max grabs the girl by her hand and drags her to her feet. _

"_But Mommy—"_

Mommy?

"_Just move! Get out of here!" Max shoves the girl towards the back door. _

_Trinity opens her wings with a snap and soars to an open window, high above their heads. "I love you, Mommy," she says, her voice sounding sad and scared and very, very small._

_Max glances fondly up at the girl. "I love you, too, baby. Now go! I'll hold them off!" She crouches and snarls at the Flyboys. With one last backward glance, Trinity rocketed through the window, scattering glass everywhere. _

_Now she was cowering beneath the roots of a large oak, trembling against the cold bark. Crashes and shattering come from the house before her. She longed to go inside to see what she could do, to see if she could help, but some instinct warned her to stay silent and motionless. _

_A very shrill—very _human—_scream splits the air. Trinity leaps to her feet, her eyes desperate. "Mommy!" she yells, starting to race for the house, but falls backwards with a muffled scream as several Flyboys shoot through the roof, a struggling figure held tight in their grip. The struggling figure screams again. _

"_Trinity!" _

_Trinity whimpers, her eyes welling. "Mommy," she whispers. _

_The house is silent. Trinity walks silently through a mixture of shattered glass and ripped white fluff, surveying the damage. Her muscles are tensed her wings half-extended, ready to leap into the air if another Flyboy appears. _

_The entire living room looked as if it had been gutted. Pausing for a moment to gather herself, she heads to her mother's room. _

_The main bedroom looks even worse, if possible. The crisp white bedsheets had been ripped to shreds, the mirror and dresser reduced to splinters. Collapsing onto the floor, Trinity succumbs to tears. _

_Suddenly her foot nudged something, and she hears the small tinkling of breaking glass. Turning her head curiously, she extends an arm and grabs it. _

_It's an elegant picture frame, made of deep amber wood inlaid with gold. Inside it, the glass covering it cracked, is a picture of a man and a woman, teenagers, with their arms around each other and laughing. _

It's Max and Fang, Angel realized. From so long ago…

_Realization flashes in the young girl's eyes. Delicately she pries off the broken glass and, separating the photo from its frame, she slides it into her pocket. Then she stands, her eyes still wet with tears but set and determined. Extending her wings fully with a small _whoosh, _she lunges into the air and soars out the broken window._

Angel pulled out of Trinity's memory with a strangled cry. She clutched at Gazzy's arm in an effort not to fall over. Breathing heavily, she gazed, stricken, at Trinity, who was staring at her, confused.

_You're…you're Max's daughter, _Angel realized suddenly. _So…that means…you're Fang's daughter, too! _

_I wonder if Max is alright…_

**Yay! It's done! **

**I have a theory of why I'm been updating so quickly lately!**

**I just got over ze horrible…ze dreaded…*dramatic music* WRITERS BLOCK!!!!!!**

**I'm just really eager to get this story done and over with. **

**Either or. **

**Reviews?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Biiiiiiiiiiiiiig hugs to everyone who reviewed last chapter!**

Fang was awoken by the sound of an argument. He groaned and pushed himself up on his elbows, figuring that he'd probably have to break up another fight between Angel and Gazzy.

But it wasn't the two blondes that greeted him when he lumbered into the clearing. It was a redhead and a young girl whose hair was as black as ebony.

"No, _this _is how you cook an egg," Trinity protested, flipping over something floppy and white with a small plastic spatula.

"No, you've got to _scramble _them first," Iggy contradicted her.

"No way," Trinity said firmly. "Sunny-side up is the best way to cook them."

"Well, you've at _least _got to let them cook for more than a few minutes," Iggy replied, taking the spatula from her.

"Yeah, but then they get all rubbery and gross!"

"Morning," Fang greeted them both.

Their argument dissolved in an instant. "Good morning, Fang," Trinity said, her face glowing.

Iggy ruffled her hair. "She's been helping me make breakfast. She's quite the chef." Trinity's eyes shine with praise.

A little flicker of pride gleamed in Fang's chest, though he couldn't imagine why. "Well done," he told her warmly. Then he turned his gaze to Iggy. "Where are Nudge and the others?"

Iggy absentmindedly flipped over the eggs again. "They went to the store."

"Well, I hope you told them not to go overboard this time." Last time he had sent the younger kids to the store alone, they had spent nearly three hundred dollars, and most of that they finished off in less than a day.

"Well, you can't blame them. For once we have a little extra money." Iggy glanced quickly at him, then turned his attention back to the eggs.

"If you have money, why don't you have a house?" Trinity piped up.

Fang collapsed on the ground beside her. "It's…a little more complicated then that."

"No, I want to know!" Trinity said. There was a curious gleam in her eyes that reminded Fang a little bit of Max.

"Well…" Fang searched desperately for words. "We used to…a long time ago."

"How long?" Trinity asked.

"Oh, I don't know…" Fang glanced at Iggy. "Four years?"

"Five," Iggy confirmed. "And a half."

"What happened to it?"

"It…burned down."

"Why?"

Fang glanced at the sky exasperatedly. Was this girl _ever _going to stop asking questions? "Bad people…came and attacked us."

"Was it the Flyboys?"

Fang looked back at the girl. Her chocolate-colored eyes were wide and solemn. "Yes. How do you know about them?"

Trinity was silent for a moment. "They attacked my Mom and me." Her eyes welled with tears.

"Only your Mom and you? What about your dad?" Fang pressed.

Trinity gazed up at Fang, and her eyes were carefully guarded. Fang had the weirdest feeling she was hiding something. "I never knew him."

Fang stared at the girl. "W-What's your mother's name?" he managed to choke out.

"Max."

_What?_

"It's short for Maxine," Trinity added quickly.

_Oh._

Fang mentally shook himself. "Come on," he said to Iggy, nodding to the eggs, which were beginning to steam. "Let's eat."

Fang was lying on his back with his arms behind his head. It was the middle of the afternoon, and everyone in the flock was feeling tired. Nudge was lying on her side by the pile of ashes that had once been the campfire. Gazzy was sitting on the wide bough of an oak tree, leaning against the trunk, Total and Akila were curled up close to each other, Angel was collecting pinecones, and Iggy was nowhere to be seen.

Fang yawned and stretched, sitting up. He shook his head, trying to get the hair out of his eyes. He looked around. Where was Trinity? He could hear Iggy rummaging around in the woods a few yards away, but he couldn't find the young girl anywhere. Feeling a small prickle of concern, he stood and went to find her.

The forest was thick, but it gave Fang no trouble as he fought his way through. Suddenly the ground sloped beneath his feet, and he found himself at the shore of a small pond. A small laugh and a rush of wind made him look up.

Trinity was soaring above him, the sunlight glinting off her dove-gray wings. As he watched, she dived, twirling in midair, pulling out of it just in time to skim the tips of her fingers on the surface of the water. Joy was radiant on her face as she twisted and turned, weaving a complicated, graceful dance in midair. He found himself watching, captivated. She let out a delighted laugh, unaware of his presence.

"She's a sweet girl."

Fang jumped. Angel had appeared out of nowhere. She was standing next to him, her hair being twisted around her face by the slight breeze. She was gazing up at Trinity, but as he watched, she shifted her gaze to him, her blue eyes looking wise beyond her age. "Isn't she?"

"Yeah," Fang muttered, looking away to the young child who was still oblivious to her company.

Angel fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. She seemed to be deciding something. She sighed heavily, and the words she spoke shocked him.

"You do know she's your daughter, right?"

Fang shook his head. "I suspected as much," he murmured. "I just wasn't sure…and it seems so obvious once you think about it."

Angel twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. "Max left because she was pregnant." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I figured that out."

Trinity suddenly realized that she wasn't alone. "Oh! Hey," she said, alighting softly on the ground. "When did you guys get here?"

"We've been here awhile," Fang muttered.

Trinity blushed beet red. "Er…"

"Don't worry about it," Angel said breezily, turning away. "Let's get back to the others."

"You go on," Fang said suddenly. "I wanna talk to Trinity for a minute."

"What?" the little girl looked terrified.

"Whatever." Angel flipped her hair and walked away.

Fang settled on the sandy ground. Trinity was standing, twirling a dark curl around her finger nervously, gazing at him uneasily. "Sit," Fang invited, patting the ground next to him. Warily she obeyed him. For a moment they gazed out over the lake that was steadily turning gold in the setting sun. "Your mother…" Fang murmured. "Her name isn't really Maxine, is it?"

"No," Trinity said softly.

"What's her full name?"

Trinity gazed at him and sighed heavily. "Maximum…Maximum Ride."

Fang tensed.

So Angel had been right.

"Could she fly?" he asked, unwilling to believe it.

Silently she nodded. "That's where I get my wings from." She rustled her feathers, still protruding slightly from her shoulders.

Fang stared at the young girl before him, the girl that had moments before admitted one of the biggest secrets he had ever known. "Do you know who your father is?" he asked, his voice weighed down by grief for the woman that he had loved.

Again she nodded silently.

And she fell into his arms, and he was hugging her close to him, tears were streaming silently down both their faces, both for the same person; his for his lover, hers for her mother.

Fang held his daughter tight in his arms as they both remembered the beautiful blonde who meant so much to both of them.

**Hey everyone! Sooooo sorry for the long wait. Blame my other stories...some are SO close to being done I can almost taste it, some are just beginning and ideas are more than plentiful, and some I'm not even sure I should be writing but am still doing it anyway. **

**Reviews?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Here's lucky number 13! Long time no see, I know. BUT I FINISHED ONE OF MY STORIES OMG I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF! And now you know why. **

A crimson glow reflected off of deep pools of pure onyx. Copper skin contrasted sharply against moon white. Identical tendrils of night-colored hair tangled together.

I snuggled closer to my father. He smiled warmly at me and gave me a one-armed hug. It's been a few weeks ever since he first found out, and now we're closer than ever.

The rest of the flock is scattered around us. Gazzy is stretched out on the grassy earth, snoring, per usual. Total and Akila are curled up together, sleeping peacefully. Angel is talking animatedly to Iggy by the campfire, Nudge listening intently.

Fang suddenly clears his throat. "Everyone? I gotta tell you something."

Iggy and Nudge immediately looked towards Fang. Angel leaned over her brother, shaking him roughly on the shoulder. "Wake up," she told him sharply. "Get up, you lazy lump."

Gazzy sat up, his eyes bleary. "Where's 'he fire?" he mumbled sleepily.

"It's about Trinity," Fang admitted.

"What about her?" Iggy asked.

"She's my daughter."

"Really?" Nudge's eyes were wide. "But…who's her mother?"

"My mother's name is Maximum Ride," I reply softly.

"_Max is alive_?" Gazzy cries, leaping to his feet. "Wha'…why didn't you tell us _sooner_?"

"Where is she now?" asks Nudge eagerly.

"She was attacked by the Flyboys," I sigh. "She's being kept at the School. I've seen her there."

There's silence for a while. "Well?" Iggy inquires eventually. "What are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Fang asks, shocked.

"Max!" Iggy says impatiently. "Trinity says she's at the School. We're not going to leave her there, are we?"

"Yeah!" Gazzy cries, punching the air. "A battle against the Erasers is just what we need!"

"Hang on," Fang says in alarm, "no one said anything about a battle…"

"Fang," Nudge sighed. "You can be so _dense_! As if the whitecoats will just let us waltz in and rescue her."

"Actually," I chirp, "I think it'd be a good idea."

Fang gazes despairingly around him. "Everyone's against me!" he cries, brushing his hair out of his face.

"We all hate you, Fang," Iggy jokes. "We thought you knew."

Fang shakes his head.

"Well," Angel says, speaking for the first time, leaning forward, "whatever we're doing, we're going to need a plan."

"Good idea," Gazzy says.

Six pairs of airborne wings beat steadily, silent save for the occasional sigh or soft murmur. "You do know where you're going?" I ask my father, who flies beside me, softly.

"Trinity," he replies just as softly, "I've spent the first ten years of my life there. I know where I'm going."

I don't reply, only look away.

A heartbeat later, Gazzy calls out in a tense voice, "We're here."

I gaze down at the building. It's changed so little ever since I'd first been there. For the first time I doubt what I'm doing. I fear for their safety—for my flock's, for my mother's. I twirl a strand of hair around my finger, biting the inside of my cheek. I gaze at my flock.

Angel, my best friend with a heart of gold.

Nudge, who had become something close to a mother to me in the past few weeks.

Gazzy, fun and impulsive, the older brother I never had.

Iggy, always so calm and collected, who I guessed would technically be my uncle now.

Fang.

He's tensed, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes that would've done Lex Luther proud, but deep within their onyx depths, a soft eagerness that speaks of years and years of longing.

I'd never realized until now how dear they had all become to me.

I nod.

As one, we dive.

**Well, how's that for a cliffy? **** You guys are in for a bit of a wait, I'm afraid. Actually, maybe not…depends on how well I can transfer the ideas in my head onto paper. Oh, and how hot it is for the next few days…weeks…months…yeah. **

**Reviews? **


	14. Chapter 14

**PEOPLES! **

**Hi. **

**Just to let you know, I feel REALLY guilty about making you wait so long for the last update. Well, kinda. Mostly I'm just excited to get this finished. Oh, by the way, it amazes me how my (amazing!) (unfinished) 13-14 something chapter story is on par-traffic and review wise-with my (amazing!) (finished) 33-34 something chapter story. **

**But that's just me.**

**I think the amount of fanfics for Warriors vs. Maximum Ride MIGHT have something to do with it…**

**Enough with my ranting! On with the tale! **

Shattering glass.

Panicked screams.

Outraged shouts.

Blaring alarms.

Bloodthirsty howls.

They blend and merge, a single entity in my ears. I fold my wings in slightly and skirt around the edges of the fast-paced fight, praying that I remember which cage was my mother's. I glance around hopelessly. No no no no no!

Yes!

An amazingly familiar face is gazing at the battle, her eyes wide with fear. Mom! I soar over to her, landing lightly on my feet before her cage.

"Trinity-?"

"Stay quiet. I'm here to get you out." I start to fiddle with the heavy padlock on her cage.

"Trinity, what's-" She falls silent, staring, dumbstruck, over my shoulder. I turn to see what she's looking at.

It's Nudge. She's wrestling with an Eraser not ten feet away, her tawny wings still outstretched. As I watch, she flips the muscular wolf-man over her shoulder, landing a heavy kick to his stomach as she does so.

"_Nudge_?" My mother sounds amazed. "Trinity, what's going on?"

"No time to explain." I leap backwards as the heavy lock springs open. "That's it! Mom, you're free!"

She lunges from the cage, standing and stretching for what must be the first time in months. "Trinity!" she hugs me tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"

"_Max_?"

We both turn.

It's Fang.

For a moment both my parents just stand there, gazing at each other. Then my father takes a hesitant step towards her, a small smile on his face, his arms slightly outstretched.

She runs into his arms.

Then they're both laughing, holding on to each other like they might never let go. "I've missed you so much!" Max breathes.

"Where have you _been_?" Fang replies. "We looked _everywhere _for you!"

Then, at the same time, "I love you."

I laugh out loud from the pure joy of the scene. This it is, finally we can be a proper family, together…

A giant pair of furry arms lock around my middle, lift me off my feet. The musky smell of wolf overwhelms me. I feel sharp teeth poking at the hollow between my neck and shoulder; feel its hot breath on my neck, the disgusting scent of wet dog mixed with human sweat. It makes me want to vomit. I twist and turn, trying to break free. I catch a glimpse of its face.

It's the Eraser from the beach, so long ago. He doesn't look quite so beautiful now. His face is twisted into the muzzle of a wolf; bristly brown-black fur covers every inch of his body. His eyes, so dark brown you can't see the pupils, are ice cold. "Prepare to die, little girl," he growls softly, poised for the kill.

I scream.

Twin shouts.

"Trinity!"

The Eraser's hold vanishes. I slump to the ground, sobbing from the shock of the near-death experience.

And within seconds a different pair of arms is around me, one I know well. I wrap my arms around their neck, shaking uncontrollably, tears still streaming down my cheeks.

**Yay**

"Shh…" my father murmurs soothingly, "you're alright, you're okay…Daddy's got you, Daddy's here."

Slender fingers probe my neck anxiously, searching for non-existent wounds. "Is she alright?" my mother asks, her voice high and panicky. "My baby!"

"I'm fine," I mumble into my father's shirt.

"Oh thank goodness," she breathes in relief. She pauses. "Fang…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He pulls her closer to him with his free arm. "I know you were only trying to protect our daughter."

She sighs. "I've missed you so much…I just hope you can love me again someday."

He chuckles slightly. "Who says I ever stopped?"

**Yay! It's finished! Well…not completely. Why do I keep saying well a lot? Beats me. Anyway, like it or not, I am writing an epilogue. Stay tuned! **


	15. Epilouge

**Hello again, which may be for the last time. *sob* We've traveled far, my faithful readers, and made many accomplishments. (Or at least I did.)**

**And why am I being melodramatic?**

"You look so pretty, Mommy," I chirp, braiding white lilies into her long blonde hair.

She spins, taking me in her arms. "You don't look too bad yourself, Trinity," she laughs. We smile, gazing at our reflections in the mirror. I tug on the bottom of my pale blue dress.

"Max?" Nudge calls. "It's time."

She puts me down, still smiling, now a bit nervously. "Time to go, then," she whispers, smoothing down the front of her long white dress. "Wish me luck!"

"Trinity! You're up first!" Angel murmurs, pushing me to the door and handing me the small woven white basket filled with rose petals. The sound of the old church organ drifts through the air. I start slowly down the aisle, pacing my steps to the rhythm of the music. I spot lots of familiar faces in the crowd; Total, Akila, Grandma, Aunt Ella, even Grandpa Jeb, who I've only met a few times. They all give me encouraging smiles.

My father meets me at the base of the alter. He gives me a quick wink as we separate, me to the left, him to the right.

Angel and Gazzy are the next to march down the aisle, Nudge and Iggy after them. Just like my father and I, they separate, Angel and Nudge to the left, Iggy and Gazzy to the right.

The music changes, a slow bridal march. All heads turn to the base of the aisle.

My mother steps delicately from the shadows. In her hands is a beautiful bouquet of white flowers, the long dress and veil seem to float along behind her. After what seems like hours but was probably only a few minutes, she reaches the alter, reaching for my father's hand.

Complete silence.

The old priest clears his throat. "We gather here today to unite two souls in holy matrimony…"

I zone out for most of the ceremony. But eventually Angel nudges me, glaring; I give her a guilty smile.

"Do you," the priest was saying, "Fang Ride, take Maximum Ride to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in heath, until death do you part?"

"I do," my father says clearly, smiling.

"And do you, Maximum Ride, take Fang Ride to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," my mother breathes.

"Then by the power infested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

* * *

It's been almost four months since the wedding. My parents have taken me out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Suddenly my father clears his throat, glancing at his wife. "Trinity, your mother and I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" I mumble with my mouth full of spaghetti.

"Trinity," my mother says, leaning across the table to put her hand on mine, "you're going to have a little brother or sister in a few months!"

I smile.

* * *

"Trinity?" I'm woken by my father gently shaking my shoulder. "Trinity, wake up."

I groan, sitting up, glancing at the clock. It's just past one a.m. "What's going on?"

He smiles, his eyes gleaming. "Come meet your new little sister."

"What?" I jump out of bed, but Fang's already vanished. I hurry down the hallway to my parents' room.

Just inside the doorway, I pause. Max is sitting in her bed, Fang beside her with one arm wrapped around her shoulder. Both of them are gazing lovingly at something blanket-wrapped in my mother's arms.

She suddenly spots me, and grins. "Come here, Trinity." I obey, climbing up to kneel on the bedspread. "Would you like to hold her?"

I nod excitedly. She passes the blanket-wrapped bundle into my arms. "Her name is Eve."

I gaze into my little sister's face. She looks exactly like our father, the same olive complexion, same high cheekbones, same thick fuzz of black hair. As I watch, she yawns, blinking open chocolate-colored eyes. Our mother's eyes. My eyes.

I look up into my parent's grinning faces.

I grin, too.

**Yeah, not really my best work...but it's still nice, right? I'm kinda mad. I wrote this out, on paper, it sounded perfect…and then I lost it. And could only remember little bits of what it said.**

**I hate leaving you guys, really, I do. And I do have a sequel in mind…heck, I could make this a whole **_**trilogy**_** if I wanted to. The Trinity Trilogy. Has a ring to it, doesn't it? **

**Who wants me to write it? **


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